US to raise issue of jailed Australian with Beijing
Updated
The United States Government is preparing to intervene in the Stern Hu espionage case as the Australian citizen spends his twelfth night in detention in China. Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has also sharpened his language with China this week over the detention of the Rio Tinto executive.
Presenter: Linda Mottram
Speakers:Gary Locke, United States Commerce Secretary; Peter Costello, former Australian Treasurer; Stephen Smith, Australian Foreign Minister
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MOTTRAM: Kevin Rudd has reminded China its not only Australia that's watching how it handles the detention of four employees of iron ore giant Rio Tinto, including the company's chief iron ore negotiator in China, Australian Stern Hu. And the United States has underlined the point .. very directly and at very high levels.
LOCKE: We need to have transparency we need to have assurances and confidence that people working for these multi-national companies, international companies, American companies will be treated fairly. So this needs to be raised with the Chinese.
MOTTRAM: U-S Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. He's on a three day visit to China. And he's raised Washington's concerns about the Rio case with the chair of China's National Development Reform Commission, the minister of commerce Chen Demin and with Premier Wen Jia Bao. Speaking to the U-S network, CNN, Secretary Locke said he'd had a good dialogue, but stressed there was a way to go.
LOCKE: We just need to continue to press the issue, to raise the issues of transparency, fairness, enforcement, of openness to international co-operation, to investment, to fight against protectionism and fair treatment of employees of companies from America and around the world that are working on these projects here in China.
MOTTRAM: As the Australia's government continues to try to understand the issues in the Rio case, and to find the best way to deal with them, Australia's long-serving former treasurer, Peter Costello, broadly backed the U-S and Australian concerns.
COSTELLO: As China privatises more of its economy as it develops a legal system, that will be good for China but I think it will be good for Australia and I think it will be good for the world generally. And I think its in all of the world's interests as China emerges as a global economic superpower that it does move in that direction and we should encourage it and of course we should encourage it in the case of Mr Hu.
MOTTRAM: Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has indicated that he'll be continuing a gradual approach to diplomacy over the Rio issue. On the sidelines of the Non-Aligned Movement summit in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheik, which both Australia and China are attending, Mr Smith has met with one of China's seven vice-foreign minister's He Yafei. Ahead of that meeting, Mr Smith said higher level meetings may yet ensue.
SMITH: I'm not ruling out and I've never ruled out at some stage, when it's appropropriate raising this matter with Foreign minister Yang. I've said today I'm seeing Vice Minister He, we're both at the important NAM summit in Egypt. He's the leader of the Chinese delegation, I'm the leader of the Australian delegation. It's appropriate that we meet and of course its appropriate that I raise it with him and in the future when I meet with Foreign Minister Yang, as I do on an ongoing and regular basis, of course I'll raise it with him.
MOTTRAM: But while Western companies doing business in China may have a strong interest in a transparency and certain environment, the reality of China's compelling economic might could overshadow those concerns. Latest figures on China's economy show it grew at seven-point-nine per cent in the second quarter of this year, spurred out of the global economic doldrums no doubt by China's massive stimulus spending .. spending though that is made possible only by the reality of China's determination to continue its growth trajectory.
